Orchard heater



Feb. 4, 1936.

' H. F. SUMMERHAYS ORCHARD HEATER Filed July 18, 1932 J ATTORNEY W a J FW 1 2 Patented Feb. 4, 19326 ORCHARD EEATER Harold F. Summerhays,Riverside, Calif., assigncr to Riverside Sheet Metal Works, 1110.,Riverside, Gaiif, a corporatien of Caiifornia Application July 18, 1932,Serial No. 623,131

relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as shown incertain embodiments in the accompanying drawing, described generally,and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a side elevation of the heater, certain parts being insection, and showing one form of stack, and

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a slightly modifiedform of stack,

Referring now to the drawing, I have shown in Figure 1 a pot or fuelreceptacle I adapted The present heater has for an object the proto holdsome form of fuel, such as crude oil, invisicn of a novel form of stackwhich may act dicated at 2. It is customary to provide a cover as areplacement unit for existing heaters, to 3 for the pot, which cover mayhave various end that any heater may be readily converted means forallowing access within the pot. In the from the old smudge forming typeof heater to present instance; a Shutter 4 permits reguone that ispractically free from production of lated amount of air to enter withinthe pot and smudge. a swing cover 5 associated with the cover is Aspointed out in an object, the general form of draft stack requires afurther stack in order that sufficient draft be afforded to cause propercombustion. With the present invention, the draft openings are soarranged in the stack that air enters with sufficient momentum througheach opening to carry toward the center axis of the stack and results inthe flame in certain parts of the stack burning substantially centrallythe stack and, in certain instances, spaced slightly from the inner wallof the stack, with the result that the flame does not actually contactthe stack at its hottest portion. This construction, of course, adds tothe longevity of the stack.

One of the defects of the Scheu orchard heater above referred to andupon which this invention is an improvement was a constant poppingduring a burning of the heater. This was due to various causes, such asexcess air. The heater did not burn evenly. With the present invention,no popping occurs. The flame is steady and concentrated. A long stack isnot always desirable because it places the flame too high above theground. With the present heater, the stack may be relatively short, tothe end that the heat is kept close to the ground and beneath the trees.This acts as a more effective means for combatting frost.

Other objects include an orchard heater and its stack which is simple ofconstruction, long lived, low in cost of manufacture, forms areplacement unit, and generally superior.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel and useful pro vision, formation, construction, association, and

2 Claims.

This invention relates to orchard heaters, and contemplates animprovement upon the orchard heater of United States letters Patent No.1,148,803, issued August 3, 1915, to W. C. Scheu.

The present type of heater is adapted to work without additional stacksor parts thereof, being a complete single unit for the proper combustionof gases from a receptacle on which it is mounted.

Another object is the provision of a heater that compiies with existingordinances in California relative to the maximum production of smudge.

within the pot through the opening, whereby the pot may be filled withoil or other combustible fluid. The cover is provided with a centralannular flange 6 and a stack 1 is adapted to have one end thereoftelescopically receive the flange 6. For convenience of futuredescription, the part 8 will be termed the base portion of the stack and9 the top thereof. The stack may be formed of sheet metal or anysuitable material, and it is abstantially an annulus.

Taking the form of the stack shown in Figure l, I have provided thestack with a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings l0 adjacentthe top and bottom thereof. The stack, in the present instance, has moreopenings adjacent the base of the stack than adjacent the top and thesaid openings have one group II encircling the stack in the samehorizontal plane. The second group I2 likewise spacedly encircles thestack in a plane parallel with the plane of the group shown at l I, butin substantially staggered relation to the group II. The next group I3is staggered with relation to the group shown at !2, but has theopenings substantially in the same any number of groups of openings,although for the stack 1, I have shown three horizontally parallelgroups adjacent the base.

Adjacent the top, I have shown two horizontally arranged encirclinggroups of openings at id and Ma. These openings do not constitute merepunched holes, although in certain embodiments, this might be possiblewere it not for the fact that the air that enters the stack duringburning of the fuel oil must so enter as to cause adapted to close anopening or to permit access vertical plane as the group II. I mayprovide the fuel to perfectly combust or burn within the stack, to theend that no soot or smudge is emitted from the stack. The stack by itsown construction does not require a further stack or, at best, rendersuse of a further stack unnecessary. Therefore, the openings formed inthe stack must direct the flow path of air entering the stack in such amanner and at such portions thereof as to accomplish a complete andthorough mixture of air with gases rising in the stack, and this flowpath must be directly inwardly and upwardly toward the central axis ofthe stack, to the end that when fuel is burning, the flame to a certainextent is kept away from the inner surface of the stack and yetsubstantially forms a burning core and without any popping during saidburning.

As clearly shown in Fig. 2, the openings 19 are substantiallyrectangular in form, with the metal above said openings at 2B depressedor deformed outwardly to form a louver and the metal below the openingat 21 depressed inwardly. The air flows in the path indicated by thearrows i8. The openings, however, for the stack of Figure 2 are arrangeddiiferently from the stack of Figure 1, in that the stack shown inFigure l is provided with openings adjacent the top and the bottom butwithout openings therebetween, whereas the stack shown in Figure 2 hasopenings throughout the length of the stack. These openings aredifferently arranged and spaced a substantial distance apart, to the endthat air may enter the stack at definite zones of the stack to providefor proper combustion of the burnable fluid. In this respect, theopenings are arranged in different circumferentia-l Zones so far as thehorizontal planes are concerned and spirally or staggered with respectto the vertical planes.

Each opening is comparatively small but the top louver does not overhangthis opening so as to normally cover it. In other words, the open ingthrough the stack is apparent to the eye when viewing the stack inelevation.

Again referring to Figure 1, I may, under certain conditions, providethe second row of openings spaced below the row indicated at M for thetop of the stack, as shown at Ma, and the row shown at Ma may have alesser number of openings than the row at is. Both stack forms have beenfound to operate efficiently.

The operation, uses, and advantages of the invention are as follows:

If we assume the stack in position on the cover and the pot filled withoil, the oil may be ignited through the medium of a wick and as the oilcommences to burn, the flame will be received within the stack. Thedraft opening at 3 may be regulated and air will be drawn from exteriorthe stack inwardly thereof, and the louver openings will direct the pathof the air flow. This flow path will be substantially in accordance withthe direction of the arrows 18 for the stack shown in Figure 2. Thearrangement is such that the fuel will be completely burned withoutformation of, soot. By arranging the louver openings in the manner shownfor either stack, I have provided a stack that does not require anadditional stack placed thereabove, although if a further stack isdesired, greater draft may be afforded, although it is intended thatthis stack should operate in and of itself without any additionalequipment. The present stacks may replace stacks now in use.

The patented invention referred to in the preamble of the specificationdoes not completely combust the fuel and smudge results. Furthermore, aspreviously pointed out, constant popping in the flame results uponburning fuel in a heater of the patented type. It will be noted that aheater of the patented type does not provide any means for directing thepath of air flow within the stack, the result being that the fiamedirectly contacts the inner wall surface of the stack and results in aburn out of the stack after a comparatively short burning duration.Experiment has shown that the present stack is capable of use throughoutone or more seasons without replacement.

The formation, shape, and design of the holes shown in the stack is suchthat the air entering the stack from the outside through said holesmoves with a momentum that is sufficient to keep and maintain theorifices clear and clean of all matter such as commonly obstructs holesin different types of stacks known to the inventor, at all times andeven during the period of most intensive burning in the stack.

The aforementioned momentum of air results in a flame within the stackmaintained by a correct mixture of air with the gases within the stack,of a character that burns in a direction away from the holes so as tonot result in stopping, clogging, or obstructing the holes even duringperiods of highest burning rate of the stack.

I claim:

1. In an orchard heater, a stack provided with draft openings ofrectangular form and of substantial width, and louvers formed in thewall of the stack below and above said openings respectively, thelouvers below said openings being inclined inwardly in an upwarddirection. and the louvers above said openings being inclined outwardlyin a downward direction.

2. In an orchard heater, a stack provided with draft openings ofsubstantial width and height extending radially through the wall of thestack, and oppositely inclined louvers formed in the wall of the stackabove and below said openings with their free edges defining the top andbottom edges of the draft openings and spaced thereby.

HAROLD F. SUMMERHAYS.

